The Infection
by Kimmydonn
Summary: An infection has turned the wolves of LaPush against the people they swore to protect. Worse, those they don't kill become infected. Only one thing, vampire venom, kills them reliably. If only they hadn't ambushed the Cullens.
1. Chapter 1

**Attack of the Zombies Contest Entry**

Warning: This is a zombie story. I'm gonna kill everyone. Okay, got that? Still wanna read it? Enjoy!

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Bella tucked the blankets in around Renesmee's diminutive eight year-old frame. "Sleep well, sweetie. I'm sure everything will be better in the morning."

Renesmee listened to Mamma's voice and tried to take confidence from it. She tried not to think about what had happened to Jacob or Quil. It hurt not to have Jacob at her side, but he had been among the first to fall sick. Mamma and Daddy hadn't told her what was happening, but she had heard.

Something was making the wolf men turn against the people they were sworn to protect. They were still wolves, always wolves, but they fed on people now. Renesmee's family had been able to keep them from the house, but she'd heard that her grandpa, in town, wasn't doing as well.

"Edward, I'm afraid for him. Charlie's got them organized, but they can't possibly hold out," she heard her Mamma whisper just outside her door.

"I know, Bella. We've done what we can for them."

"Have we? Can't we join them? Surely we're safer all together."

Renesmee did her best to stop listening and sleep. It was difficult though, when she kept seeing wolves, salivating, tearing meat from bones, the bones of people she knew. She whimpered and her mother was at her side instantly, hugging her.

"Shhh, sweetie. We're here. We're all here, all your aunts and uncles. Nothing is going to happen to you.

"B-but, Grandpa," she whispered.

Bella's face and voice hardened. "He's going to be alright, Nessie."

Renesmee cried herself to sleep in her mother's arms.

She woke to a horrible grinding noise, one she only vaguely remembered, only enough to know it was a _bad _sound. She slipped quietly out of her bed and peeped out of the cracked door. The lights were out in the hall. Continuing to tiptoe, she slunk to the staircase. She froze in shock at the great hairy mounds on the floor. They were all slightly different colors and most weren't moving. Her uncle stood, surrounded by the three wolves still standing and growling. He caught her eye for only a moment before lunging at one of the beasts. All three moved as one, one catching Jasper's leg, another his head.

Renesmee nearly screamed, seeing the awful animals pulling him apart. Only her hands clasped over her mouth stopped her. She needed to run, now! This was her only chance; they hadn't seen her yet. They could follow her using those long snouts and her scent. She was fast, but not faster than them. Already some of the bodies were starting to move, twitching. That was the last bit of motivation her legs needed. Pulling up her nightdress, she burst through the unlatched door, not stopping until she reached her Grandpa's house in Forks. She was panting before she got there, running for miles.

She ran through the unlocked door, shouting, "Grandpa! Grandpa!" There was no answer, and when she stopped, she could tell he hadn't been here in a while. The sofa was broken and the chairs were toppled. "Grandpa?" she asked, a little scared now. Wait, she knew how to get a hold of him. Picking up the phone from the wall she dialled 9-1-1, thankful that whatever had damaged the house hadn't wrecked the phone.

"Forks 9-1-1. If you are looking for the safe-house, please proceed to town hall. Defenders will find you there." It was a recorded message, but told her what she needed. leaving the phone hanging she continued to run, fear driving her beyond her exhaustion.

At the town hall, she saw a young man with nearly black hair holding a rifle. She'd seen her grandpa with a pistol, but never one of these long guns. Only occasionally, in the forest, when she'd run into a group of hunters, might she one like this. She almost turned and ran but the man lowered the barrel quickly. His face softening

"Are you okay, little girl?" he asked, crouching to her height. He was at least as tall as her dad. "You look okay. What are you doing here alone?" he asked. He smiled and she relaxed slightly.

"Ch-Charlie," she whimpered. "My grandpa is Charlie."

"Damn," the man murmured. "You come with me then. Nessie, right? I'm sure he only has the one grandbaby." He took her hand and led her to one of the banks down the street. Renesmee's sharp eyes picked out more shapes on the roof, also holding guns.

When the door opened, she heard, "...I don't care if you have to loot all of Port Angeles, we need more ammunition." That was her grandpa's gruff voice, but she'd never heard it so hard before. "And if you don't have a fast enough car, find one and get Nick to jack it for you. We aren't going to be able to hold on otherwise." The ring of people around him flinched slightly but didn't argue.

"Charlie, here's that stock list you asked for." A woman, whose red hair was laced with grey, passed Renesmee's dark haired grandfather several sheets of paper. He sighed.

"This is good, Sheila. Thanks. Looks like food, at least, isn't running out." He set the pages down and looked up. Renesmee almost hid behind the man holding her hand. She had never been afraid of her grandfather before, but now, he was someone she'd never met, a leader and soldier.

"Renesmee," he murmured. "What are you doing here? Where are your mom and dad?"

At the memory of the scene in the house, she burst into tears and ran to her grandfather's arms. "They came, Grandpa! They killed them. All of them. Jasper... he... I ran while they..." She couldn't say it. She tried not to remember it.

"Shhhh, Nessie. You're okay. You found us. We're going to look after you."

"Chief! Incoming. It's a human wave."

_Human?_ Nessie wondered. Charlie tried to set the girl down but she clung to his neck tenaciously.

"I'm headed for the roof," he told the man. "Nessie, I need you to stay here."

She shook her head, digging in tiny fingernails.

"Okay, okay, don't gouge me, girl. We'll just look. They're humans, so this shouldn't be too difficult." He ground his teeth though, letting her know it would be bad enough.

She stayed in the crook of his arm as the other man held open the door. Several more men with rifles, stopping once to shoot behind them, came racing for the bank door. They joined a line of people with guns on the sidewalk.

Renesmee fought another scream as people shuffled down the street for the bank. They weren't running, not like she had. They dragged their feet quickly though and only paused a moment when hit with a bullet.

"What are they, Grandpa?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Monsters. When the wolves don't kill, it leaves the people sick, like this. They can infect others by biting, and they want to feed, on us. I don't know how many we lost before... " He shook his curly head before continuing. "We haven't figured out how to fix it, and there's only one way to stop them." She tucked her head into his chest after a well placed shotgun shell took off a woman's whole head. When she dared peek again, Renesmee saw that the monster didn't rise and was left behind when the rest shuffled on.

Slowly, very slowly, the gunmen flattened the monsters, all but two. When the gunmen on the street finally dashed inside and barred the doors, the shooters on the roof continued to aim until even they fell.

There was howl in the distance, and Nessie nearly choked Charlie by gripping his neck tight. "Jacob," she whispered, recognizing the call of her friend. "How do you stop them?"

"We don't," Charlie spat. "When they come, we sit in the vault until they go. Even bullets to the head don't stop them. They go down, alright, but they're back up in seconds, and fast as lightning. Nothing like those," he pointed his chin to the street. "I was hoping your family might have had an idea."

Renesmee choked on a sob. If they had, they hadn't told her, and it hadn't saved themselves.

"I should take you in, Nessie. There's other kids there, and lots of toys. We moved everything out of the vault, so there's a decent amount of room, between this one and other across the street." He looked to the only other bank in the town. She saw only one man on that roof. "Most everyone is here though. Not that many left," he said sadly. He climbed downstairs stopping at the man who had brought her. "Thank you, Eric."

"No problem, Charlie. She's really Bella's girl? Doesn't make any sense," he said shaking his head.

Charlie chuckled. "Less sense than wolves that turn people into zombies?"

Eric snorted. "Yeah, point taken."

Renesmee was given a mat to sleep on next to several other children, but she could not close her eyes without remembering this terrible night from start to finish. Something had to be able to kill the wolves.

Memory returned. Venom. Vampire venom killed the wolves. Wasn't that working anymore? Surely her parents and relatives hadn't gone down without biting some of them.

Rising from her spot on the floor, she wandered until she found Grandpa Charlie. He was sitting at a teller's window, head on his arms, asleep. She dragged another rolling chair from behind the wall of desks and set it next to his, putting her head in his lap. Finally, she slept.

She woke when he jumped. Then she heard the wailing that must have woken him.

"Nessie! Into the vault!" he shouted pointing.

"No! We need to go back to the house." She stood, hands on hips, trying to seem older than the eight she appeared to be. "I need Daddy's venom. There's still some in Grandfather's study. I'm sure of it!"

Charlie stared for a moment, agape. "Venom? They have... Never mind that now. We're under attack. We all need to be in the vault. They'll take what they can and go."

Renesmee couldn't have stopped him scooping her up and running with her, but she wouldn't if she could. They hunkered with the others listening to the awful screaming, howling and baying until the monsters left again. Nessie and the children were kept back while four adults went to check that the wolves were gone.

"Nessie, you remember Eric?" Charlie asked, clapping the tall young man on the back. Renesmee nodded.

"He's going to take you to the house. I need to stay here. He doesn't know everything, so explain what you need."

Nessie's mouth worked. She didn't want to go with this stranger! It would be bad enough returning to that nightmare with her grandpa, but with this... She looked up at him, holding his rifle with bullets in bands across his chest and decided he wasn't such a bad protector. He was skinny, but held the gun with familiarity. His face was angular and had the shadow of stubble on his chin. His dark eyes showed no fear, only determination. He would keep her safe enough. Of course, she'd end up holding the gun while he drove. She'd never fired a rifle, weren't they supposed to kick? She was sure she'd heard that. Seeming to understand, Eric put a pistol in her hand.

"Charlie said to give this to you. I told him he's insane, but well, who wouldn't be by now? Giving a kid a gun..." he muttered before addressing her again. "Think you can shoot it?"

Renesmee nodded, not sure at all, but knowing she'd learn fast if she had to. "Let's go. It's half an hour south. How much will this slow one of the wolves?" she asked, following him to a dented van. It had probably been blue before most of the paint had been shaken off in flakes. A little still clung in places.

"Not much. Aim for the limbs. They heal faster than the torso, but slows them down more, unable to run. God, I hope we don't see any," Eric prayed quietly.

Renesmee had to agree.

"What are we going to get anyway? Not people."

Nessie's heart clenched again for her family. "No, a weapon. At least, it should be."

"You're the boss," he said starting the ignition. "Until Charlie tells me otherwise."

The drive was quiet with Nessie occasionally breaking the silence to ask questions about the illness and how the town had coped. It was hard to believe it had only been a week since Jacob disappeared from her side, complaining of a flu bug. His stomach and head were bothering him. The next Nessie heard of him was from Sue, Grandpa Charlie's girlfriend, that the wolves were attacking the reservations of La Push and Macah. Eric told her that Sue was one of the first infected by humans. She was a nurse and helping to treat those not killed. There were almost no doctors or nurses left after the first group of people ate them, infecting them. People didn't heal like the wolves and where the infected had eaten away chunks of flesh, it remained gone, what was left continued to live though, after a fashion.

"Turn here," Renesmee said, pointing to the barely existent drive.

Eric shook his head. "How do they find places like this?" Then he whistled at the large white house with several broken windows. As soon as she had the door open, Renesmee ran out of the van.

Eric fired his gun once, which stopped her short. "Are you crazy? Check there's no one in there first." He held his gun tucked to his shoulder and looked over the porch as he climbed the steps. Renesmee felt like the child she was. What if her family were like the people in town? They might be inside, waiting. Taking a deep breath she lifted her pistol and followed.

"This won't work on people, will it?" she asked Eric.

He looked over his shoulder. "No, not really. Shoot anyway. Slow them so I can take them out."

She nodded and continued to survey the damage. No trace of her family, but two of the wolves still lay in the living room.

"Well, I'll be. They can be killed." Renesmee giggled, then frowned. She knew these men. They were men, not wolves. Why had they never changed back? This was Embry, and that was... Paul, she thought. She'd only met him once or twice. Holding her pistol higher, she started to climb the stairs.

"Whoa," Eric called, running ahead of her. "I'll take point, thank you very much. Don't need Charlie ripping my head off. Enough other things want to do it for him." He was muttering, but it actually cheered Nessie up a little.

"This door," she said when they reached the landing, pointing to the door to Carlisle's study. Eric pushed it open with his shoulder, scanning it over the barrel of the rifle. Nothing seemed to have been moved. Probably the wolves had never come up here.

"Clear," he said lowering the gun. "What is this weapon anyway?"

Nessie ran behind the desk and opened a drawer, fishing through vials. "Poison." When she had the right one, she nearly wept to see how small it was, how little was left. If only one of her family had survived, she could get more. Now she clutched it to her chest while grabbing a couple syringes from another drawer. They'd have more in town. "Let's go," she said, determination coloring her cheeks. "Grandpa needs this, now."

Eric drove quickly, but fortune didn't favor them. Three wolves stood on the Highway just outside Forks. Eric slammed the brakes, spinning the van. Renesmee braced herself on the dashboard as her vision swam and blurred; she tried to keep herself from being thrown into the door.

"No!" she screamed, feeling the van tipping, Eric being tossed into her, the rolling and crunching as the vehicle flipped over.

Holding her breath, she waited for her ears to equilibrate, waited for the world to let her know which way was up. Apparently, it had only shifted ninety degrees. The precious vial was still in her pocket. She pushed Eric aside - the blow had knocked him out - to climb up through his door. Hearing snuffling growls, she ducked back beneath him, filling the syringe. There was smashing as glass rained down around her, over Eric, and a snout followed sharp claws.

Staying mostly behind Eric, she reached around and stabbed with her needle, getting less than half the contents out before the face ripped back with a roar, snapping the hollow metal injector. She plunged the remains into the rubber stopper to hold what was left before running for the back of the van. The one door lay flat to the ground and she ran, knowing she would be chased.

Where was her pistol? She had no time to remember, slipping between trees. Falling, she was sure she was dead, and brought up her only weapon, the broken needle. It stabbed into the chest of the one that leaped onto her and injected the last of that shot. She tried to roll away, leaving the syringe behind. The second sandy-colored wolf was blocked by the first, which whined and swayed, but did not move. She wouldn't have time to ready the second syringe. She stood with her back to a tree, fumbling with it anyway.

A shot rang out and the remaining wolf fell, limping, his hind leg a mass of stringy red tissue and sinew. As she watched, it started to pull itself back together. Fighting the fear, she filled the second syringe and circled wide to avoid the snapping teeth. Eric shot it again, in the head this time, and it lay still. Renesmee plunged half the shot into the furry neck, trying not to acknowledge that she knew this wolf as well. "I'm sorry, Seth," she whispered, fighting tears. Taking her precious venom with her, she ran to Eric.

"Stay back!" he yelled. "They got me." He fingered a bleeding gash on his neck. "Head for town. I'll try to kill myself before I change."

Nessie looked at the remaining vial, then at Eric. "This might work. It might make you something worse. At least there will only be one of you."

His eyes widened. "Won't it kill me?"

"Maybe," she said. "Better than killing yourself?"

He nodded. "Hit me."

"It's going to hurt, either way," she warned him.

He nodded again. "Then be fast about it." Eric held out his arm to her, pulling back his sleeve, but she stabbed him in the chest, hoping to make it to his heart. It'd be closer anyway. Daddy had said that was the way to make the transition fastest.

"Damn!" he yelled, then the words became less coherent as he fell, screaming from the pain. "Burning," was the only word Nessie could make out.

"If it works, you'll have more poison for us. If not..." Rather than finish the horrible thought, she ran the rest of the way to the bank and Grandpa Charlie, vial clutched in her hand. How many wolves were left? She couldn't have enough for more than six or seven if she kept giving them two millilitres each. Would less work? Did they have the luxury of finding out? She hoped at least one doctor was left in Forks.

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Thanks to RuthPerk for beta reading. More to come after the contest!


	2. Chapter 2

"So this is it?" Charlie asked his granddaughter, holding the vial. "You're sure it works."

"I've seen six dead wolves now," she said, looking at her feet. She hated all the adult eyes on her.

"And Eric?"

"Lost, for the time being. The wolves got him." She scuffed her toe on the tiles.

"Then he's gone," one of the older women said.

"Perhaps not." Nessie raised her brown eyes to those which they closely resembled. Her grandfather blinked and nodded.

"We won't know for a while though, right?" he asked her.

She nodded back. "Three days."

"What's in three days?" the woman asked, getting upset. "It does take that long for the infection to spread.

Nessie tried to think how to explain. "This poison might be able to burn it out of him, but it will infect him in a different way. I don't know if it will work, but if it doesn't…" she shrugged. They already knew what happened to bitten humans.

Heads nodded around the circle and vial passed from hand to hand. Mr. Smythe, the veterinarian, held it longest. "Dart gun?" he suggested.

"That's all there is," Charlie told him. "We can't make more and I don't think you want to mess around with diluting it, do you?"

The animal doctor shook his head. "No, certainly not. So... up close and personal. Who is going to volunteer for this job?" He held the vial to the light and sighed at the small amount of clear liquid remaining. "How much does it take?" he asked Renesmee.

She shook her head. "I know two mils is enough. I don't know if you can do with less. You might. They died quickly." She watched her grandpa, knowing he wasn't going to like this part. "I'm fast and small. I think that might be best for applying the poison."

"You are not!" he roared.

"Maybe one sprinter with three or four marksmen? They keep the animal down long enough to run in with the needle. It worked for me, with Eric shooting." She didn't look up, not wanting to see any expressions that moment, especially not her grandfather's.

"Four gunmen? That could work."

"How many shots do we have?"

"Do we know how many wolves there are?"

Renesmee dared to look up as the questions rolled. They didn't hate her plan. Grandpa's hand gripped her shoulder firmly. "You will _not_ be a sprinter," he said quietly, but with authority.

"Grandpa," she nearly whined. "I can do it. I already did it. Three times! Really, with cover fire, I'll be fine."

"Your parents?" he asked, hitting her in her soft spot.

"No trace. I think the wolves must have completely destroyed them." She hadn't been adrenaline-free long enough to really consider that. First the wolves on the road, then Eric, now getting a battle plan ready; everything was important, except the dead.

"If I've lost Bells, I'll be damned if I'm going to lose you, too."

She raised her chin, meeting his gaze. "And I'm not losing you because the wolves are loose. I'm one of the best people to do this. Don't count us out because we're young. I'm sure there's at least one more 'kid' who is built for this job."

Charlie's frown was firm, but one of the adults offered a name. "Dustin Perry, he's fast." Another nodded in agreement.

Nessie dared raise an eyebrow, but her grandfather didn't budge. She finally rolled her eyes and headed for the vault. If he wasn't going to see reason, she couldn't make him. Also, they weren't going to hunt the wolves. She should rest before they attacked next.

Renesmee spent the next day getting to know the other children, particularly the older ones that were suggested as sprinters, racing with them. Six syringes lay on a dark cloth just inside the door of the vault, easily accessed. Nessie was ready when the alarm woke her in the middle of the night.

Seizing two of the needles, she barely saw the two high school boys behind her. She stopped at the door to the bank, listening to the shotguns firing and watching the wolves fall, get up, fall again. She heard the vault door close behind them. They all knew how to open it, though the wolves didn't, if they could work the mechanism. Still, it was unlikely they'd get it open before the wolves killed them, and less likely they'd want to, opening everyone inside to what was out here.

Nessie saw Jacob and Sam, the top two wolves, hanging to the back of the pack. Each had been hit only a once or twice, but they were her personal targets. She tried to make it to them, but Dustin grabbed her arm, yanking a syringe to hit a nearby wolf that was barely twitching.

"Come on, Nessie. You're gonna get hurt," he hissed, taking his remaining syringe and jumping on another wolf.

Shaking her head, she landed on the wolf closest to her, hanging to his back so he couldn't claw or bite her, injecting her shot into his neck. He was already badly injured and fell under her, nearly rolling atop her. She heard another wolf coming and scrambled, running for the bank door. There weren't enough shots for all the wolves. Dustin screamed as Sam and Jacob took him from either end, one biting into his feet, the other tearing off his arm. His speed wouldn't save him now. Nessie heard the syringe drop, though.

Ignoring everything else, especially the shotgun blasts interrupting the savage mauling, she ducked near, snatching up her weapon. When Sam collapsed, Jacob looked at her. His eyes were the same deep dark brown she remembered, the russet fur of his muzzle smeared with human blood. What had happened to him? He looked at her and turned away, slowed by the bullets continuing to pelt him. The only other wolf, lean and grey, ran after him. Nessie froze only a second before plunging the last dose into Sam and running back to the bank.

She hurt. She had rolled on the pavement, been tossed by a wolf, and bore the scratches and gouges to show for it. But she was alive, unlike Dustin, unlike the other sprinter, Jeff, who had been bitten and shot. The gunmen met her inside and opened the vault.

"They've gone, for now," one of them told those inside. "We lost two."

Dustin's mother and Jeff's sister both began to cry. Nessie didn't realize she was shaking with tears until Grandpa picked her up. "You reckless, stupid..." he didn't finish, his voice lost in her ringlets. "This was _your_ plan. What were you thinking?" he asked.

"Kill the leaders," she said in a whisper.

"At least there won't be a next time. With only two of them left, they won't be likely to attack again, and you won't be a part of it at all," Charlie murmured, still squeezing her in a hug.

"Are there only two left?" She wasn't as certain. She wondered how Eric was doing. He should be nearly done with the transformation, if he wasn't already. How would she know? How long until he came to himself and found them here? Newborns were unpredictable. "Grandpa, I want to look for Eric."

He cringed, hating this plan. Sighing, a minute or two later, he relented. "We need more venom. All right, I'll find someone to go with you."

Nessie kissed his cheek. "Let's sleep for now. You look tired, too."

He shook his head, but took her into the vault to find a cot.

Nessie listened to her grandpa's even breathing and carefully slid from his chest. It had been so comforting, curled atop him, in his arms. She didn't want anyone coming with her now. Her scent was different from full humans; it might be enough to stop Eric's feeding frenzy.

The bank was guarded, of course, but aside from odd looks, no one paid her much mind. She sprinted to the forest, where she'd left him. The wolves' corpses were still there. She stopped to remember the boys they had once been, running fingers through fur. Then she sniffed where she'd left Eric, hoping to find and follow his scent. She was in luck. He must have stayed here for most of his change. Once she placed the florid vampire aroma, she found it all over the van. From there, he seemed to have headed back to Forks, but not the direction she had gone, not to the bank. His trail led to the old high school and residential area around it.

Nessie had never had a soft stomach. She ate animal meat raw and drank blood like her family, but she was nearly sick at the remains she found. Torn to pieces, no blood to be found, the once-human townsfolk littered the entire block. Keeping her hand over her mouth and nose, Renesmee held her head high, not looking at what lay in the gutter, not noticing when she stepped in something soft that made her foot slide from under her. She never fell, thank God, but she skidded several times before regaining balance. At the end of the street, she found him,sitting, hunched over something she couldn't see. His dark hair was no longer matted and oily; it shone in the moonlight and covered his head in waves. He looked up at her from whatever he held in his lap.

He stood, dropping what he held. Renesmee never tried to identify it, but noticed it was covered in cloth. He hadn't grown taller, but held himself straighter, towering over her. His eyes, blood red, focused on her, seeming puzzled.

"Nessie?" he asked in a new voice. His old had been higher, rougher, now it was smooth and low, inviting.

"Yes," she said, taking only one step nearer. It should be enough for him to smell her.

His face twisted slightly. "I did this," he said, looking behind her up the street. "You told me you'd make me a monster."

She took another small step when he didn't react further, his face smoothing as he adapted. "I did. You are. My family was." She held his eyes, wondering if he understood.

"The Cullens were... What am I, Nessie?"

"A vampire," she answered flatly. "You feed on blood. I'm only part-vampire. We can live like my family did, on animal blood instead of human."

He cocked his head, considering. "That's right. They were around us everyday. Dr. Cullen... he worked with people in the hospital. But..." He looked at the remains again.

"Give it time," Nessie suggested. "We couldn't have helped them anyway, and what did this to them is still out there."

"The wolves," Eric spat, his face hardening. "Yes. I could smell them after the burning. Their stench is horrific. I can kill them."

"Wait," Nessie called before he ran. "Take me with you?"

He stared at her, and then helped her onto his back. Once settled between his shoulders, she closed her eyes against the burst of wind that came from his sprint. He was so fast.

"Tell me more about what I've become," he asked as he ran. "Obviously daylight doesn't hurt."

"No. Direct sun will make you shine, though. People will know you aren't normal." She wondered if he was following a trail or just circling out. "You can't be killed either, only burned. The wolves can tear you apart, but that alone won't kill you."

He nodded. "Nice. So, how do I kill them?"

"Venom. It's probably in your mouth now."

He swallowed. "Yep. I just bite them?" he asked, incredulous. "How is it the Cullens didn't kill the wolves?"

"They got some," Nessie nearly wailed. Her poor family. "There were too many wolves. They were overwhelmed." She tucked her head into his shoulder fighting tears.

"Will they overwhelm me?" He stopped abruptly, everything going still around them. "Should I not be chasing them?"

Renesmee shook her head. "There are only a few left, and you are strong; stronger than my family. It's part of being a new vampire. I don't think they'll overwhelm you. Not if you're careful. Not if I can help you. Where did you leave the guns?"

He laughed. Nessie nearly wept at how much it sounded like Uncle Emmett's. "They're still at the van." Scooping her into his arms, Eric was running again. He was as flighty and easily distracted as she had been told new vampires were. Her mother hadn't been, but everyone had said Bella was different.

Renesmee felt much better armed. She fired the rifle once, just to be sure she could. Her shoulder ached from the recoil, but she held her aim for the second shot, making her mark. Eric praised her for it.

"Took me forever to get used to that. In the beginning, we just needed people to shoot. Didn't matter if they could aim well." He smiled and laughed again, emphasizing how much more handsome he was now. His skin was smooth and unblemished, his square jaw shadowed by the bit of stubble he'd never be able to remove now. It made him rugged.

"Well, shall we?" she asked, gripping his arm to hoist herself onto his back.

"Maybe we should swing by the bank. Reinforcements?"

Nessie cocked a brow. "Do you think you'll be able to resist feeding on them?"

His brow furrowed in thought briefly. "Let's try. If I start to lose it, we'll run."

She nodded. If she gave a warning shot, they might be able to stop Eric with gunfire. Maybe. When he came to Main Street, he slowed to human speed and Nessie slipped her pistol into her hand.

"You said that wouldn't hurt me," he joked.

"It's not for you," she answered snidely.

He nodded and continued walking slowly. When he was one building away, he stopped inhaling deeply. "That burns!" he complained. "You want venom?" he asked, with a bright smile. "I think I have a bucket full in my mouth right now."

"Actually, yes!" She jumped down and ran into the bank, returning with a cup and pair of syringes. She also had Charlie on her heels.

"Get back here, girl. How dare you..."

"Stay back, Chief," Eric warned, his voice loud and livid. "I don't know that I can stop if you come closer."

Charlie froze in place, staring at Eric. "Is that you?" he asked. "Just like Bella," he murmured. "You feeling alright?" he asked, watching Nessie closely. She didn't pause and Eric didn't stop her.

"Sore throat from hell," he joked, taking the cup from Renesmee and spitting several times. She filled syringe after syringe, pocketing two.

"Handy, that," Charlie said, smiling himself. "What's the plan?" he asked Eric, but followed the vampire's gaze to his granddaughter.

"We attack," she said with a shrug. "Eric suggested some of you come for back-up. It's risky though. They'll have a harder time killing him than... us." She didn't really know how difficult it would be to kill her. She'd never been attacked. Her skin was tougher than a human's, but she had blood, she could be infected, she assumed. It seemed Eric couldn't; his blood was no longer used in the same way. She was glad for that. It had been her first worry upon seeing the people strewn in the street.

"Shame we don't know where they are," Charlie said, stepping back to lean on the bank's outer wall. The gunmen on the roof were watching all three.

"We can follow at a distance," one, a woman, offered. "Stay back until needed. Once they start howling, we'll know where they are."

She was right. Charlie and Eric both nodded.

"Sprinters," Nessie said, bringing back the syringes.

"Not a chance!" her grandpa decreed. "With this much we can use the tranq guns that Smythe suggested."

Nessie nodded, having forgotten those.

"And you're staying here."

She opened her mouth but he grabbed her arm and hauled her into the bank. "I'll lock you in that vault, girl."

"It doesn't lock from the inside," she said insolently.

He glared back at her. "I'm not losing you."

"I'm the only one that can go with Eric, at his side. He can't be that close to any of you," she pointed out, jutting a lip. "Give me one of the dart guns. I'll stay out of the way, promise."

His grip on her arm didn't lessen.

"At least let me stay with him while you get ready. He's having trouble with all the people here."

Relaxing his hold, Charlie relented. "Fine. Keep him out of trouble. Try to do the same for yourself. More stubborn than her mother," he muttered shaking his head as he entered the bank with the syringes she'd filled.

"Let's get out of here," Nessie suggested, taking Eric's hand. "Where did you live?" she asked. She was safe from any other infected humans with him around. None of them stood a chance within reach of a vampire.

Eric smiled. "This way." He didn't run, taking his time in the streets. They did stumble on a group of the infected. Eric moved through them like lightning. He didn't dismember them, just biting and dropping.

He stopped and crouched in front of Nessie. "Doesn't that frighten you?"

She shook her head. "They're not much more than animals now. You looked like my dad taking down deer."

Eric smiled and touched her cheek, his bloodless hand cold against her hot skin. "I'm glad. I smelled a deer," he mused, nose wrinkling. "I can't imagine eating one."

She chuckled. "You get used to it."

He nodded and slid his hand down to hers. "Well, we're nearly at Mom's place. They do taste funny. I don't know how I can tell," he said, thinking aloud. "I mean, I've only had infected blood, but I swear I can _taste_ it."

Before they passed the bodies, Renesmee put a finger into one wound that wasn't completely clean. Licking the spot from her fingers, she narrowed her eyes. She could taste it, too. She'd been nursed on donated blood, so unlike Eric, she had tasted uninfected blood. "A spiciness?" she suggested, "almost nutty?"

He nodded, red eyes widening a little. "Yes. I think that's it."

"It implies that it is actually _in_ the blood and could be filtered out," she was thinking aloud now. Her grandfather had been a doctor, but she only knew a little.

Eric nodded. "That's what Gerandy said, before they killed him," his voice roughened with anger. "Where do you think they are?" he asked, eyes searching the horizon.

Nessie shrugged. "First Beach? Makah? Somewhere to the north. They'll be on their lands, the reservation. That's home to them." She followed Eric the last few steps to his home. "Just as this is for you," she said with a smile, passing through the door he held for her. This house hadn't been torn up like her grandpa's. A few things were toppled, but it looked like they'd just been knocked over in haste.

Eric righted a dining room chair and sat down. "How long?" he asked. "I don't think I can wait long. I'm itching to _do_ something."

That sounded familiar, too. New vampires were anxious to move. Her mother had been able to stand perfectly still for hours, but again, Bella wasn't a typical new vampire, just the only one Nessie had ever known. She needed to distract him, keep him occupied.

"Tell me about your family. I didn't see any of them in the bank."

He hung his head. "Mom collapsed when she saw the wolves. Dad tried to fight one while I ran. I never saw either of them again."

"Where were you? Not here," she said looking around the relatively undisturbed house.

He shook his head. "We were on our way to the town hall. Everyone had been told to gather there. The wolves must have found out, though. That's when they attacked.

Nessie covered his hand with hers. "I'm sorry."

He covered the pair of her hands with his other one. "I'm sorry you lost your family. At least you still have Charlie." He patted and stroked her hand until his began to warm, telling her about his parents.

"I have to go, Ness. I can't sit anymore," he finished. She glanced at the clock on the stove. It'd been a little over an hour - probably enough time.

"Let's swing by the bank," she said, pushing back the chair she had taken.

Charlie and ten others waited in the few jeeps and quads they could find; ready to go off road if necessary. They each had a dart gun. "Ready when you are. North?" he asked, looking in that direction.

"Yep. Nessie figures they went home," Eric answered, raising his voice slightly to cover the distance he didn't want the people too close.

"We'll take the highway until we get a hint to do otherwise." Charlie slipped into the passenger seat of a jeep and the vehicles started off.

Nessie leaped onto Eric's back and he started to run, outpacing the jeeps quickly.

He slowed when entering the reservation, hands going to his face. "Well, they live here alright."

Nessie slid from his back, chuckling. "That's what my family always said. About the smell, they never came on the reservation. Can you tell if it's new?" Her sense of smell was enhanced, but not by much. "It all seems old to me."

Eric continued to take short breaths. "Yuck. Maybe something that way."

There was a howl and Nessie was knocked on her back by a pile of grey fur. As fast as she landed, the wolf was pulled from her by Eric, who bit into the wolf's neck, tearing the throat out. He tossed the animal down, blood dripping down his chin. He turned and spat on the carcass.

"They taste as bad as they smell," he complained, wiping his throat. "That one won't bother us anymore." He hadn't quite finished his sentence when another wolf came on him from behind, a chocolate brown blur that faded into shadows. His teeth sunk into Eric's shoulder, pulling it free. The vampire screamed, but all Nessie could do was roll out of the way. She wanted to help, wanted to stop Quil, remind him he was a man, but she could only get herself killed. So she cowered, and listened for the coming vehicles. They couldn't be too far behind.

Between the grinding of vampire flesh and werewolf teeth, the huffing and growling, she didn't hear the soft pad behind her, but felt a familiar whiff in her hair. She turned, terrified, to meet the large brown eyes of the man who loved her, her friend and protector. Eyes wild with the disease that had taken his mind.

"Jacob," she pleaded, tears in her eyes. "It's Renesmee. You remember me, don't you? You won't hurt me. Can't you remember, Jacob? You're a man, not a monster. Please! Come back to me!" In a move neither wolf nor girl expected, she threw her arms around his neck. He was her partner, her other half, the only family he had besides Charlie. "Please remember."

He tossed his head, shaking her loose and lunged, pinning her by the shoulders. Closing her eyes, she pulled one of the syringes from her pocket.

"Killing me will kill you," she warned him, opening her eyes and finding his wild ones. "And not just because of this," she stabbed, missing his chest. The venom would probably take longer to kill him.

He growled again, opening wide jaws with white shining teeth. Renesmee never knew what followed. The dripping saliva hit her face and everything went dark.

* * *

Eric dug his hand out from under an overturned truck. How had the wolf gotten it all the way over there? He'd been lucky the shotguns came. Not that the wolf could have burned him, but he was pretty completely dismembered by the time the first shots fired. He joined Charlie standing over Renesmee. His throat burned, but Charlie held a gun to Eric's head. That killed the blood thirst effectively.

"They went together," Eric said, not really understanding. "She shot him up and then, waited."

Charlie nodded, lowering the barrel. "They had a special bond." Jacob lay, human and naked, his arms wrapped around the girl, half her face a bloody mess, the other half covered in bronze curls. "How'd he manage to shift back?" Charlie wondered aloud.

Neither ever learned the answer.


	3. Big News! I'm Published!

Let me start by saying I'm only go to do this once. I promise.

Next, if you noticed a lot of chapter alerts with the same title, that's because they're all the same, skip/delete the others.

Finally, I wanted to give this big news to as many people as I could, which is the only reason I'm doing this (see first point)

Okay! The good news! I'm published!

That's right! If you've enjoyed my stories, which I bet you have as you've put me on alert, now is your chance to read a completely original story written by yours truly.

Cargon: Honour & Privilege is my first novel, but I already have two more complete manuscripts, so a second isn't far off. It is set on a future earth after a cataclysmic even has destroyed nearly all of our technology. It is the time of the second renaissance. The story revolves around Eve, a servant in a caste-style society who has the nerve and the guile to step out of her set role and take on a new and much loftier one.

Here's the back blurb:

* * *

Lives are won, lost and traded on the three-tiered Cargon boards.

Eve, a serving-girl, has watched the elite from the outside, seen the dramatic shifts based on the results of the Game. With a growing need to reach beyond her station, she can no longer accept her position on the edges.

Wagering her own life, she wins and emerges in a strange new world. New rules and old acquaintances tangle to make Eve's life less comfortable than her position would suggest.

One pawn moved, but an entire world shaken – Eve will change the world.

* * *

Copies are available at Amazon (kindle and paper versions) and signed copies, as well as information about up-coming book, blog posts from me, tour dates as I book them, are all be available on my website: Kimmydonn. com

I'm so excited about this, my first release. I've had a bit of a stumble out of the gate and that's gotten me down, but I'm hoping some of you will perk me back up, possibly with sales, but even with just reviews/PMs of congrats. I'll appreciate all of them.

I thought I'd finish by including an excerpt from the book. After demonstrating her wit to the High One, Eve was moved into classes with elite. She is still a servant, still apart from them, but in their realm. (Excuse the formatting, I pulled this from my final PDF copy ;)

* * *

Awaking early from the nightmare, she entered the classroom  
an hour before the elite students. Even so, the Ernst was there  
ahead of her. "If a rock is placed in the sea, does the rock become  
wet or does the sea become rocky?"

Eve smiled, but didn't raise her eyes. This was exactly the sort  
of question he would ask his class. "Both. The rock joins those on  
the bottom, making the sea rocky. As well, the rock, having space  
within, takes in water, becoming wet."

The Ernst smiled at her. "And, if the rock were not porous?"

"Then only the sea would become rocky, as the rock would  
retain no water upon removal. Nor, if the rock were the only one in  
the sea could the sea be said to be rocky either. Was this the only  
rock in the sea?" Only after she asked did she realize she was  
looking up at the Ernst.

His milky blue eyes shone. "You are a fine student. Take your  
place," he sighed. Eve heard the students approaching. Today, the  
Ernst quizzed his students on the nature of time and its flow. Was  
it even, like water poured from a pitcher, or variable like the wind?  
Eve imagined it was choppy like water in a stream. It generally  
flowed in one direction, but it was possible to be thrown back, with  
memory and dream, to an earlier time, only to be rushed forward  
again. She made plans to write this after class was complete.

Prince Louis came to her as he had so many times before. He  
was significantly older than his classmates, making Eve wonder  
why he was still here. His hand came to rest over her breasts,  
where she had pinned the bloom today.

"That bloom will never fade. I think his attention is not so  
constant. But mine is, as you can see." Eve set her teeth at that. She  
taunted him, but did not seek his affections. Prince Louis put his  
nose to her hair now, inhaling deeply. He sighed. "Would you taste  
as wonderful as you smell, I wonder?" His hand traced down her  
side, just off her skin. It brushed the fabric of her skirt, and she  
stepped to the side. It was not strictly permitted, but neither was  
his touch.

He sidestepped with her, grinning now. "Skittish. I like that.  
Where will you jump to next?" He moved to place his hand on her  
chest again, and she leaned away to her left, twisting from him.  
Her skirts brushed his legs. That wasn't permitted either. She  
backed away again.

He continued to pursue her as she backed herself into the  
corner. He put his hands to either side of her head, trapping her  
effectively. Finally, unable to find another response, she turned her  
eyes level to his. In them she held all of her hatred, her anger, his  
loss of honour. Would he continue to ignore the impropriety he  
was inflicting? Would he simply accept the slight she had  
delivered by staring him down?

He seemed to, showing no offence and instead dipping his  
nose to her bloom. He was nearly touching her breasts. She tried  
not to breathe while he inhaled deeply. "Smells wonderful, but I  
think that's not the bloom. I do wish our stations were not so  
distant." He pulled his arms away and turned from her.

It had been over a year since the first time he had approached  
her, but for the second time she fell to the floor in relief. She had  
nearly spat on him! He would have had her beaten severely for  
that. She sniffled, and only then realized tears streamed her face.  
She pulled a kerchief and wiped them away before rising. She took  
one more deep breath and strode to her lunch with what time  
remained.

* * *

If you'd like to read a larger sample, there are a few chapters available on Google Books. Thanks so much for reading!


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